Helping organisations learn, adapt and create change
Practical, participatory monitoring, evaluation and learning that helps organisations understand change and make better decisions.
We help organisations understand change, strengthen their work and turn evidence into action.
Through evaluation, organisational learning, capacity building and facilitation, we make monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) practical, participatory and useful.
We work with organisations to develop approaches that are proportionate to their needs and grounded in the realities of their work, generating evidence and learning that people can actually use.
Cedar & Compass is a partnership between two friends and experienced MEL practitioners who have been working together for more than 15 years.
Our journey began facilitating Theory of Change workshops with partners around the world. Since then, we’ve worked both together and independently across the international development and humanitarian sectors, supporting grassroots organisations, governments, international NGOs, research institutions, funds and networks.
Together, we bring more than 30 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning. Throughout that time, one thing has remained constant: our belief that people are at the heart of meaningful learning and change.
Our Approach
MEL doesn't have to be complicated
We know that monitoring and evaluation can sometimes feel technical, intimidating or disconnected from day-to-day delivery. We don’t think it should be.
We work alongside organisations to demystify MEL, making it practical, collaborative and engaging. We combine methodological rigour with creativity, helping teams ask better questions, reflect honestly on their work and use evidence to make better decisions.
We’re approachable, flexible and pragmatic. Every organisation is different, so we adapt our methods to your context rather than expecting you to fit ours.
People First
Great monitoring, evaluation and learning starts with people.
For us, good MEL is as much about how you work as it is about the tools and methods you use.
We create spaces where people can contribute honestly, explore different perspectives and make sense of evidence together. This builds ownership, strengthens learning and makes it far more likely that findings will lead to action.
Evaluation
We design and lead evaluations that go beyond compliance, focusing on utility and learning. We help you understand what's working and why. Our approach ensures that evidence is robust yet accessible, turning findings into practical steps for improvement and impact.
We partner with organisations through four core, interconnected areas of work to drive meaningful change.
Organisational Learning
We help build 'learning cultures' where reflection is part of the work, not an add-on. We create systems that capture insights and feed them back into strategy. By demystifying MEL, we empower your team to ask better questions and use evidence to make smarter, more agile decisions.
Capacity Building
We deliver bespoke training and mentoring that strengthens internal monitoring and evaluation expertise. We focus on practical skills people can use daily. Our goal is to leave your organisation with the confidence and tools to continue learning and adapting long after we've finished.
Facilitation
We design and facilitate participatory workshops, theory of change processes and strategy sessions. We create safe spaces for honest conversation. Through expert facilitation, we help diverse groups navigate complexity, align their goals and move forward with collective purpose.
A Collaborative Network
Cedar & Compass is led by the two of us, but we can also draw on a trusted network of associates when a project calls for additional expertise.
Our network includes specialists in communications, data analytics, research, facilitation and design. This means we can bring together the right mix of people for each assignment while ensuring clients continue to work directly with us throughout.
Why Cedar and Compass
